The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-23
BASE BALL IN THE OLDEN
 TIME.
Luke sharp, in Derv. '.,c Press.


 A long time ago, when Wa, young, base ball was the popular game, as it is now, but instead of be- ing spectators we were the players. It was no great 1uu davs to sit and look at game of ball. Every body who amounted to anything was player, and the social standing of the hoys in the village was reckoned ac- cording to their proficiency in what has since become the national game of America.
 Balls and bats were home made. The owner of a popular bat or real good ball was second only in respect to a good catcher or pitcher or first rate batsman. Generally the fellow who could make a real good ball wasn't worth q cent at batting, and so neither side wanted him, and yet if he were not chosen on one side or the other he would simply pocket his ball ina huff and block the game. The fellow who owned the ball was the autocrat of the grounds. Often while the game was going on have known some one to offend him, and he would say :"Oh, well, all right, then; get another ball. {"
 And he would then pick up his property and move off, leaving us all lamenting, unti concilintion com mittce would surround him and smooth things down and apologize. and at last he, generally with seeming reluctance, threw thr ball in the field again It was an understood thing that the owner of a ball was not under any circumstances to be offended.
 The making of a ball was an art in itself. One or two old wooden stock ings were captured and cut off at the heel so that the yarn would unravel well. The core of the ball was a piece of rubber; bit of an old rubber shoe did very well. This was to make the ball bounce, an important thing in those days, for ball caught on the first bounce was out. The yarn was tightly wound around this rubber core until the ball was of the requisite di- amcter. Sometimes it was covered and sometimes not. The covering of the ball was very difficult art that few of the boys ever attained. This fact always gave the son of the village shoemaker the pull over the rest of us boys, for he got his father to cover the ball with leather in manner that none of us could hope to initiate, and his interest with the old man effectually shut out the rest of Us. This was the more easily done as the old man knew mighty well there was no money il ball covering. once broke down the monopoly ot the shoemaking faction by getting the local harness maker tC cover a ball for mo, but he never would do it again. It took too much valu- able time He told me that he would rather make a set of harness than GOV. CT another ball. Nevertheless, it haG a good effect in taking down in , measure the arrogance of the shoemak. CTS boy. The necessity for leather GOV ering could be got rid of by sewing the yarn on the outside of the bal with strong thread over and ovel again till the surface was one com pact mass. This made a very gooC ball that bounced better than tn, leather covered one, but it was not SC lasting. It would usually take tn, most interesting part of the game a' the proper time to unavel in, anC then go flying over the field like |; comet with long tail of yarn after it The coming of that yarn tail showed us that it's usefulness had departed.
 When the boys had assembled il the field for game, couple of th, best players were chosen for captains One took a base ball bat and tossed il to the other, who caught it near tn, middle. Then captain No. 1. placed his hand around the bat and close ovel the clutch of the other captain, and st they went hand over hand until tn, top of the bat was reached. The fel low who had the last clutch got tn, first choice of the men at hand. Thi first choice was recognized as a yer, important matter, and the captain hat sometimes to suffer for the stand h. made to secure it. He would often in sist there was room on the end of tn, bat for his clutch, when, in fact, ther was not, and the matter was decide, in brutal Spartan manner A par tisan of the other captain was allowed to take another bat and pound on tn end of the tossing bat. If the cap taiRs hand was too high it caught tn blows instead of the end of the bat Still have known gritty fellows SC their teeth and stand the requisit number of blows, although the han, was bleeding when the ordeal was over Some fellows were very expert il catching the tossed bat. Iknew bo, who would catch it every time in sucl a way that the resulting hand owe